WASHINGTON — The founding father of the far-right Oath Keepers group is ready to testify in his personal protection at his seditious conspiracy trial on Friday.
Stewart Rhodes is on trial together with Kelly Meggs, Kenneth Harrelson, Jessica Watkins and Thomas Caldwell in reference to their actions surrounding the assault on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The federal government rested its case on Thursday with out calling cooperating witnesses who pleaded responsible to seditious conspiracy. Jurors did hear from two different Oath Keepers who pleaded responsible to different prices: One testified that he had ready to say goodbye to his household and oppose the switch of energy “by any means crucial,” and one other who testified that he thought he was “appearing like a traitor” in opposition to his personal authorities.
Rhodes is starting his testimony on Friday morning and can doubtless proceed on Monday, as jurors will solely hear a half-day of testimony on Friday.
Over the course of 5 weeks of testimony, jurors have heard violent rhetoric from Rhodes and about his makes an attempt to succeed in then-President Donald Trump and persuade him to invoke the Riot Act to remain in energy.
A number of the most damning proof in opposition to Rhodes got here from a recording made on Jan. 10, 2021, when Rhodes was talking with somebody who he believed may get a message to Trump. Rhodes, speaking about Jan. 6, stated within the recording that his “solely remorse” was that they didn’t have weapons that day.
“We must always have introduced rifles. We may have mounted it proper then and there. I’d dangle f—in’ Pelosi from the lamppost,” Rhodes stated.
Because the trial bought began final month, Rhodes in contrast himself to Nelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid activist who spent 27 years in jail and later served as the primary president of South Africa.
“People have to lose their worry of being indicted or put in jail. When you’ve a dictatorship you’re going to have dissidents,” Rhodes stated. “Identical to Nelson Mandela was prepared to go to jail for all times.”
